When I was a young kid I was a passionate New York Yankee’s fan. It was the days of Mantle & Maris, Boyer, Richardson, Moose, and Yogi. Not the Majarishi Yogi, but the most famous Yogi of them all, Yogi Berra. Yogi was a Hall of Fame catcher, and an inspiration to me as a Little League player. In addition to his credentials as a ball player, Yogi became even more famous for some of the things he said.

One of my favorite Yogi sayings goes like this, ‘If you don’t know where you’re going, you’re likely to end up somewhere else.’

I’ve been to a few sales seminars in my time, and there was always time devoted to setting goals. Even now I can hear the speakers, ‘Write all your goals down, everything you want to do in the next forty years, and then?..

‘ Let’s back up a little and make this a little easier. Let’s lighten the load a bit. Let’s start with (a) goal. One goal. We’re not going to climb Mt. Everest tomorrow. Let’s try, for instance, getting to work a little early, walking in the door, being relaxed, giving your co-workers a genuine smile.

That’s realistic. Its one goal. That’s all for today. Git ‘er done!

So we have a realistic goal that can be accomplished. While finishing up on that goal ….don’t stop…

Set another goal! Get that done.

One goal at a time/one goal per day. In a week or two, you’ll be surprised at the changes you have made.

When you have come this far, you can up the ante a little bit more.

But remember let that new goal build upon your previous ones.

A teacher once told me, “Success is where Preparation joins with Opportunity.”

Another great part of successfully reaching goals is patting yourself on the back for what you’ve accomplished.

In summary…

Here’s 5 easy tips to help set your goals more effectively.

1. Make them simple and measurable: Your goal should be simple enough to easily remember throughout the day. Simplicity and specificity can sometimes be opposites, so keep a balance between saying too much and saying too little.

At the very least, your goal should say what you are trying to accomplish and why. The “why” of your goal should be something easily measurable, feel, to give it power!

2. Write it down and share with others: Once you have a goal that is specific and measurable, write it down. Tell others about it and this will help you get it out there. Post your written goals somewhere where you’ll easily see them again. Like a bathroom mirror makes a good place. This will help remind you at regular intervals to rededicate to your plan by seeing it clearly, saying it aloud, then going out to make it Real!

Telling other people is the first step in moving your goal beyond something that exists in your mind only. Move them outside of your mind by sharing them. Have your friends and family members follow up with you from time to time. Just knowing that they will ask about your goal will help you to keep the motivation you need.

3. Think about your goals throughout the day: Think about your goals whenever you can. When you keep your goals at the forefront of your mind, inspiration and meaning will flow through you. Certain experiences that occur during your day will bring new meaning .. new Life and new direction to your goals. Ideas may even come to you unexpectedly. The parts of your day that are usually boring will become opportunities to plan and strategize.

Remember, each present moment is just that a “Present” a Gift within that moment. It’s up to you to choose to tap into it then give vitality to your goals.

Even the busiest people should have the short time it takes to do this. The simple act of thinking is something that we can do literally anywhere. Some of the best times to think will be in the restroom or the shower, on your way to work in the car, waiting in line at lunch time, or as you fall asleep at night. With time, you will even begin to think about your goals in your sleep!

4. Set goals that you can achieve: If you achieve your goals 100% of the time, then you are not setting your goals high enough… right? Wrong. Your goal should be something that you can certainly achieve if you follow through. The reason we often miss the mark for our goals is that we set the wrong kind of goal. We set a goal to have a certain outcome. Try setting a performance-based goal instead of a goal that focuses on a certain outcome… the outcome is still very important, but this shifts the focus to the actions that you should be taking.

5. Create a plan to achieve your goals: Like the saying goes: Fail to plan then Plan to fail. Without a plan, you are unfocused. Like going someplace completely new without a map or guide.

Remember your thoughts …your Attitude can give your goals great energy..Great clarity you can see …Visualize!

Next in making them more real, Verbalize them.. saying ….hearing gives them feeling….substance

Then Actualize them…. Take the steps … Remembering: The Journey of 1000 miles begins with that very first step!”

A friend once told me, “If you have a strong enough “Why” (reason) you’ll figure out the “How”.

Now just like a snow ball that starts at the top of the mountain, build upon each successful step – goal, build that momentum, build a ….